DR-106 Discovery of mutational signatures associated with chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer

Mutational signatures are patterns of mutations that inform us on the mutational process underlying tumorigenesis. We will investigate the mutational signatures caused by chemotherapeutics, to better understand how chemotherapy affects cancer cells. We will use all the sequencing data from tumors that were treated with chemotherapeutics prior to surgery to discover the mutational signatures. Mutations induced by chemotherapy can play a role in how cancers develop resistance to the chemotherapy, therefore understanding where those mutations are likely to form will help us understand how resistance could develop. This knowledge can guide us in avoiding/overcoming resistance to chemotherapy.

Steve Rozen Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore